Environmental change has a lot of possible sources, ranging from something nearly invisible like straws, and ending with something as large as deforestation. The fashion industry is another generally unheard of contributor when it comes to the change of our world.
Many of the clothes we wear require large consumptions of our everyday resources; certain plants for dye like the indigo plant, cotton for production of typical clothes, water to wash out dyes and wash your clothes, electricity on the mechanisms like washing and sewing machines.
“The best number we have now is about five percent of [global] greenhouse gas emissions [come from] this sector. To give you some sense of perspective, that’s about equivalent to the impact from the aviation sector, so all the planes flying in the world. Or in country terms, that’s about equal to Russia. So it’s pretty significant.” – Nate Aden
The usage of leather isn’t only problematic in terms of animal cruelty. “But it’s clear that leather and cotton in particular are very intensive. Leather is responsible for a lot of methane emissions, which is a strong climate forcer. It is more potent than carbon and has a more immediate short-term impact.”
Nate also states that using cold water instead of hot in the washing machine has a sizeable reaction on the durability of the clothing garment, as well as is lighter on the electricity consumption due to hot water requiring energy to heat up.
It has also been estimated that there are 20 new garments made per person each year and we are buying 60% more than we were in 2000. Each garment is worn less before being disposed of and this shorter lifespan means higher manufacturing emissions because of the requirement of more garments.
Textile production is one of the most polluting industries, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, which is more emissions than international flights and maritime shipping. Over 60% of textiles are used in the clothing industry and a large proportions of clothing manufacturing occurs in China and India, countries which rely on coal-fuelled power plants, increasing the footprint of each garment.
Did you know it takes 2,700 litres of water to make one T-shirt? That’s enough or one person to drink for two and a half years, according to a video made by the World Wildlife Fund and National Geographic.
Low-cost imports, many from China, have led to a fashion trend many call “fast fashion” — purchase of clothing as almost disposables. Americans buy about 1 billion garments from China annually, and throw away in excess of 68 pounds of textiles per person per year, according to “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.”
Thankfully, things are improving when it comes to all the consumptions we are making. For instance, there is already a company creating use for discarded pineapple leaves which generally serve us no purpose; pineapple has fibres in it strong enough to create leather strong and flexible enough to be put out into clothing garment usage.
Plus, a study by a charity group and a university looked at whether recycling pays off, after considering transportation and other energy costs. It found it definitely does: Reuse of a ton of cotton clothing only used 2.6 percent of the energy needed to manufacture brand-new clothing from new materials.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/1006170-much-cotton-make-shirt/
https://fashionista.com/2017/09/fashion-industry-greenhouse-gas-climate-change-sustainability
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-017-0058-9
https://www.fastcompany.com/3059190/this-gorgeous-sustainable-leather-is-made-from-pineapple-waste
fashion & social change 